By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Yagba West Local Government area
was on Thursday thrown into confusion as a first-class traditional ruler, Oba James Dada Ogunyanda, the Obalohun of Okoloke, was kidnapped from his palace, Okoloke.
The abduction of the monarch has triggered widespread panic across the state, particularly in Yagba West Local Government Area, where incidents of kidnapping have become alarmingly frequent.
It was gathered that Oba Ogunyanda was abducted in the early hours of Thursday.
According to eyewitnesses, a group of heavily armed men stormed the monarch’s palace in Okoloke, a serene community in Yagba West Local Government Area, at around 2:00 a.m.
The assailants overpowered palace guards and forcibly whisked the king away to an unknown location, with the operation said to be swift.
The kidnappers are yet to make contact nor issue any ransom demands, deepening anxiety among residents, relatives, and members of the royal household.
The disturbing abduction of the monarch has sent shockwaves across Okun land, prompting concerned citizens to gather at the palace in prayer and urging authorities to take swift action.
The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the incident and announced that an investigation is underway. A joint task force comprising security personnel and local vigilantes has also begun a manhunt to locate and rescue the monarch.
However, the chairman of Yagba West local government, Tosin Olokun, has condemned the abduction of the monarch by yet-to-be-identified armed bandits.
The chairman, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Adeyemi Sunday, acknowledged that the persistent attack on the council area by gunmen was due to the porous border it shared with Kwara State.
